Car-coupler-centering device



` v E. E. scHLEslNGER CAR COUPLER CENTERING DEVICE `Filed April 20, 1923 ialllr llulVl Il L-..

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www Y Patented Feb. 17, 1925.

UNITED lSTATES 1,526,437 PATENT OFFICE.

EDGAR E. SCHLESINGER, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION METAL PROD- 'UCTS COMPANY, O'F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CAR-COUPLER-CENTERING DEVICE.

Application filed April 20, 1923. Serial No.v 633,479.

To' all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDGAR E. SCHLE- sINGER, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, and belng a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Coupler- Gentering Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and to use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that Various modifications thereof within the scope of the claims will occur to persons skilled in the art.

4Many railway cars are equipped with a carrier for supportin the'` coupler which is swingingly suspended by links from the striking casting, draft sill or 'other part of the car, so that when cars are uncoupled the coupler is returned by gravity to substantially the center of the car, the coupling of the couplers, eliminating the lateral stresses on thecoupler due to impact or coupling and also obviating the necessity of trainmen going between the cars to osition the coupler for coupling. Such a evice is called a combined coupler `carrier and centering device Vand is illustrated in Sisson Patents No. 1,080,723, No. 1,080,724`and No. 1,080,725, all of December 9,1913. i j y Formerlyv the couplers in general use had an enlarged portion at the rear end for attachment of the draft yoke which embraced the draft gear. This enlarged rear end required that some means be provided to remove the carrier, or at least one end of it, from the car part before the coupler could be removed either horizontally or vertically.

Usually a removable pin or a bolt is provided which is held in place by a cotter pin or nut. Such contrivances have the ever resent possibility of the pin coming out, Because the cotter pin was not spread or the nut was not tightened, which, of course, might permit the coupler to fall upon the track and wreck the train.

The American Railroad Association has adopted a standard coupler known as the type D, which does not have the enlarged thus assuring rear portion before described, and, therefore, it is not necessary to provide means permitting the removal of the carrier before the coupler can he removed: in fact, the contrary is true.

The object of this invention is to so connect the carrier to a supporting swinging link that they cannot be disconnected from each other while they are in operative position on the car or while the coupler is in service position on the car.

Another object isl to so connect the device that the parts can be easily made, assembled on and removed from the car after the coupler is removed from its tion on the car.

When cars are passing over vertical curves in the track, and also when coupling by impact, thecoupler raises from the carrier and the top of the coupler shank frcquently hits the striking casting or dead block but it still is in service position on the car.

For simplicity of construction and interchangeability of parts, as well as assurance that the device will be properly assembled, it might also he advisable to use my new arrangement where the link is connected to the strikin casting. However, it may be economica use a trunnion at one end of the link (see Fig. 6) and the headless pin arrangement at the other end. It is immaterial whether my new arrangement is used at'the upper or lower end of a link or on one or both links, or on both ends of both links, as my invention covers the improved means of connecting one end of a link to the cooperating adjacent part of the car, that is, the striking casting or the carrier.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a combined carrier and centering device showing parts of the car broken away. The improved method of connecting the link to the parts of the car is also shown.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3-8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the link.

Fig 5 is an enlarged detail of the headless P111- Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of a link with a trunnion at. one end.

In the drawings the striking casting l is atservice posito reduce the number of parts and tached to the draft sill 2 and the coupler 3 is supported by the carrier 4 fhy means of links 5. The coupler is retained in central position on the carry iron by lugs 6 which also has a movable engagement With a. slot 7 in the'striling castingl so as to limit the lateral movement of the carrier. The links lhave a pivotal connection with the striking casting and carrier respectively soas to permit of a. longitudinal swinging movement of the carrier and it is in these particular connections andthe relation of the associated parts that l claim an improvement. l

The object of the invention is accomplished hy using a headless pin 8 which is insorted in perforation 17 provided in the link 5 so that it extends outwardly from either side of the link. The carrier 4 is provided with bearings 10 which engage these outwardly ext-ending portions so yas to form a pivotal connection therewith. The. carrier is further provided with Walls 13 which are so positioned as to limit the longitudinal increment of the headless pin when in operative positionand these Walls yare provided with apertures 15. The device is assembled by raising the carrier 4 until aperture 15 is oppositeythe perforation 17 so that the pin may be inserted. The carrier 4 is then lowered until the pin contacts With the bearings 10 so that the Walls 13 prevent the longitudinal remo-val of the pin. `When it is desired to disconnect the carrier from the link the carrier is raiseda predetermined amount until the pin 8 is opposite the opening 15. rllhe distance between Vthe. upper surface of the coupler shank 18 and the under surface ofv the st-rikingcasting 19 is less than they required vertical movement of the end' of the carrier to permit there-movalof the pin.

The various parts are so positioned and din mensloned that after thecoupler is removed from the car theend of the carrier can be lraised suliiciently to permit the removal of the pin. In the drawings the verticaldistance between the carrier at 20 and the strikA` ing casting at 21 is more than the vertical distance between the coupler at 18 and the striking casting at 19, and also more than the verticall movement necessary to register perforations 17 and l5. The Walls 13 prescribed relative to thelower end of the link.`

This application is a, continuation in part of myy application Serial No. 519,556, filed December 2, 1921.

I claim:

1. The combination, in a railway` car,- ot a coupler, a swinging coupler carrier, a suspension link, and a headless pin pivotally connecting said car `ier to said link, the end of said carrier bifurcated to straddle the link, each portion of said bifurcated endhaving Walls to limit the longitudinal movement ot said pin.

2. The combination, in a railwaycar, of a coupler, `a swinging coupler carrier, a suspension link, and a headless pin pivotally connecting said carrier to said link, the end of said carrier bifurcated to stra-ddle the link, each portion of said bifurcated end having Walls to limit the longitudinal movement of said pin, and an aperture in one of said Walls permitting the longitudinal removal of said pin upon elevation of the carrier a predetermined amount. f

3. The combination, in a railway car, of a coupler, a coupler carrier swingingly ,sus pended from another part of the car by suspension members, separate means for connecting the carrier to one of said'suspension members, which means cannot be removed While the coupler ismountedupon the car rier.

4. The combination, in a railway car, ot aa coupler, a coupler carrier swingingly suspended from another part of the car by suspensionmembers, separate means for connecting the carrier to one of said suspension members, which means cannot be removed while the device is in assembled operative position.

EDGAR n. SCHLESINGER. 

